How clean was your diet while actively losing weight?

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  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited September 2020
    lakshva wrote: »
    I know that if I'm within my calories it won't matter. But I noticed that cleaner my diet lesser is my hunger. Then one day out of boredon I try to add in a treat. And suddenly I'm more hungry than never. And I surely end up going over my calories for the day.
    Those of you who successfully reduced a good amount of weight n kept it that way, how cleaner was your diet during that journey?

    I've found I have to add treats after dinner, and after a dinner that includes a good amount of protein and bulk.

    I used to shop at a garden center that had a candy jar, and I found that if I went there in the afternoon and indulged, I would be snacky for the rest of the day. OTOH, I'm having a half peach (77 g) now, and this will not trigger the same reaction.

    In general, it's easier for me to create a calorie deficit when I focus on higher volume / nutrient dense food and am very judicious with hyper-palatable food.

    Increasing protein, fiber, and fruit helps me a lot.
  • msjyotisingh
    msjyotisingh Posts: 3 Member
    On the basis of my personal experience, Clean eating could help in losing weight in the initial period of time, when you are trying to lose most of the excess weight. But in a later period, when you are looking forward to lean muscles and fit body, it doesn't help.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    If you feel hungrier it’s prob due to sugar spikes and less protein. I focus mainly on getting enough protein and veggies , then the rest falls into place.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,069 Member
    I don't "eat clean" but I do prefer if I am doing the cooking to use whole, fresh foods as much as possible (although I will use simple ingredient sauces/condiments from the store just to save time). If I am eating out, I do not generally "eat clean" and am not super strict about that outside of my own definition of what I consider to be a better choice for me on that day.

    All that said, I found that the best way for me to not feel like I was starving or too restricted was following a "lower" carb diet (~100 or fewer 'net' carbs a day) more often than not. Veggies, meat, fats, but restricting/avoiding carb-based foods did the best for me to provide satiation and satisfaction in my meals.

    I also don't say something is "never" allowed - it just has to be planned for.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    80 percent home cooked which is usually in the vicinity of some "clean" definitions.
    20 percent dirtiest food I can find.
    lakshva wrote: »
    I know that if I'm within my calories it won't matter. But I noticed that cleaner my diet lesser is my hunger. Then one day out of boredon I try to add in a treat. And suddenly I'm more hungry than never. And I surely end up going over my calories for the day.
    Those of you who successfully reduced a good amount of weight n kept it that way, how cleaner was your diet during that journey?

    I am a strong advocate of keeping your hunger controlled through smart food choices. Continuous hunger is miserable and misery is no good. However, a rare round of hunger is going to happen and it is not an excuse to exceed your calorie goal. I have had superb hunger control most of the time in my last 2.5 years but 'most' is not 'all'. There are "hungry" days that are more mental than physical. This is habit hunger. Your treat activated a habit. This is a habit you cannot keep reaffirming unless you plan to eat whatever you think clean is for the rest of your life and even that is no guarantee.

    If you are eating enough calories then hunger is not an emergency and cravings need not be satisfied. The autopilot in your head will kick and scream like a kid in a candy store but you need to know when to say "just a little", "not now - maybe in a few days", and "no". Sometimes the answer can be yes but not always.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    "Clean" is a pretty subjective term and I never really focused on anything like that. My focus was primarily just better nutrition overall in order to help with getting some surfacing health conditions under control.

    My diet wasn't ever particularly horrible, but I didn't ever eat anywhere close to the recommended amounts of veg or fruit or things like whole grains from oats and other fibrous foods. My diet at large was lacking in essential vitamins and minerals as well as fiber, so I made it a point to increase those things rather than focusing on cutting out this or that.

    From there, things just took their natural course...attempting to get the RDA of fruit and veg as well as incorporating plenty of oats, legumes, lentils, etc into my diet naturally caused other things to fall off, mostly because I felt full.

    The only thing I deliberately made a point of cutting out was full sugar sodas. My diet overall became healthier as it evolved, but I also still enjoyed things like pizza night most Friday nights, or some pub grub here and there or a nice brunch or lunch at one of my favorite NM restaurants.

    I've been in maintenance for 7.5 years, and my diet is pretty much the same as when I lost weight save for a handful more calories...ultimately, sustainability is what is key to long term maintenance of a healthy weight.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I don't view "clean" and "dirty" as useful categories. I do prepare a lot of my own food because I enjoy eating that way. I'll use some pre-made condiments, but most of my meals are made of fruit, vegetables, and beans along with some grains. But if I want some chips or french fries, I'll have them and I do regularly consume diet soda.

    My goal is to meet my nutritional needs, have fun cooking, and eat food that I enjoy. If I'm doing that, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding hunger, then I consider things to be going well.

    Here is today's menu, which is a pretty average day for me:

    Breakfast: Homemade trail mix, cold brew coffee with oat milk

    Lunch: Bulgur wheat with sriracha sauce and charred lemon olive oil, quick pickled cucumbers, onion, and jalapenos

    Snack: Tortilla chips

    Dinner: Chickpeas, roasted corn, potatoes, and carrots with ground almonds and nutritional yeast, a glass of red wine

    I ate pretty much like this when I was losing weight, I just made sure that the portions kept me in a deficit.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    Like... 50% clean and 50% dirty.
  • zackpeters
    zackpeters Posts: 10 Member
    End of the day, it will be calories in calories out will be the greatest factor in weight loss. If we bring athletic performance and physique into the equation, food quality and macro nutrient profile can definitely make an impact.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    I lost all my weight just moving more and eliminating calorie bombs. Then my wife came down with Fibromyalgia and was told to not eat gluten or cow dairy. I do the cooking and we eat the same, so I relearned to cook using no gluten or dairy. Around a year later, we got glutened in Mexico and I broke out for a week in an autoimmune rash -- blisters on my bumb. So painful I couldn't sit for a few days. Turns out I'm celiac, so that changed everything pretty much permanent.

    We eat pretty clean now out of necessity, but there have been more and more processed snacks coming out, even for us. Most of them are geared toward the health conscious, but I still mostly stay away from them. But Peanut Butter is my crack. Lance's even has a GF Peanut Butter Cracker now, so there aren't a whole lot of things I can't find if I try. I can still easily gain weight on Peanut Butter alone. I've recently been trying to lose five to seven pounds again (I got up to my "red line" -- I'm around 9 years in maintenance). I was eating a few PB&Js on Gluten Free toast and started to gain weight. Now, I'm mostly eating either frozen grapes at night or PB on celery -- just one or two. Also, I'm just cutting down on alcohol as well. The scale is moving in the right direction again.

    We plan one decadent meal a week. Last night was it with a homemade Hawaiian Pizza with a homemade GF crust, pineapple, capicola ham, banana peppers, bacon and with goat mozz and sheep (pecorino) cheese for my wife. We've also been leaning more plant based, so this was like a dirty splurge for us. We balanced it out with an Italian Salad with a lot of nice greens (I realize that this is not plant based, we're work in progress).

    If I were back to having to lose 80 or 90 pounds again, knowing what I know now, I would likely eat a lot better with more balance. Eating more fiber now helps a lot with the hunger when I'm in a calorie deficit.
  • zamphir66
    zamphir66 Posts: 582 Member
    I eat the same stuff, just slightly less of it. I have a couple of "problem" foods/drinks that I've cut out owing to self-control issues.

    In total, as of today, I've lost about 45 lbs. without significant overhaul to my way of eating. And this is something I can continue for the rest of my days, which is the important bit.

    And like others say, the definition of "clean eating" is as nebulous as the morning fog I see out my office window.
  • charmmeth
    charmmeth Posts: 936 Member
    An Irish court has just declared that Subway's bread cannot be classed as bread or as a staple food: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/01/irish-court-rules-subway-bread-is-not-bread. It's when I read stories like this that I start to understand what this clean food language is about.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    charmmeth wrote: »
    An Irish court has just declared that Subway's bread cannot be classed as bread or as a staple food: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/01/irish-court-rules-subway-bread-is-not-bread. It's when I read stories like this that I start to understand what this clean food language is about.

    I feel like this story reveals more about the nature of regulatory language than it does about the nature of "clean" or "dirty" food.
  • charmmeth
    charmmeth Posts: 936 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    I feel like this story reveals more about the nature of regulatory language than it does about the nature of "clean" or "dirty" food.

    Fair enough. What struck me from it was that different brands of the "same" food can be so different as to be practically unrecognisable, and (in this case) that if subway was my go to sandwich I might be getting levels of sugar from teh bread that I would not be expecting.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    charmmeth wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    I feel like this story reveals more about the nature of regulatory language than it does about the nature of "clean" or "dirty" food.

    Fair enough. What struck me from it was that different brands of the "same" food can be so different as to be practically unrecognisable, and (in this case) that if subway was my go to sandwich I might be getting levels of sugar from teh bread that I would not be expecting.

    Fortunately, Subway publishes their nutritional information, so you can know to expect 3-5 grams of sugar in any bread you choose from them.
  • briscogun
    briscogun Posts: 1,138 Member
    Really don't like the term eating "clean", like everyone has stated. Food is food. Some of it is healthier than others, and some of it will fit into my goals better than others, but I eat what I want. If I want beer and pizza, I fit it in. I don't drink ALL the beer and eat a WHOLE pizza, but I plan it out ahead of time so I can have what I want if I want it. Hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, beers... its all on the table. I just need to be thoughtful about it and not go hog wild like I did before which is what got me in trouble in the first place.

    And if I can't be thoughtful about it ahead of time and have to wing it, maybe go over my calorie goal for whatever reason, I just figure it out the next day and get back on track. Don't limit yourself to certain "kinds" of food. That's a recipe for falling off the wagon and plowing through a bunch of foods you'll regret...
  • ALZ14
    ALZ14 Posts: 202 Member
    100% clean as I don’t eat actual dirt. 🤷🏻‍♀️🤣 (sarcasm)
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    charmmeth wrote: »
    An Irish court has just declared that Subway's bread cannot be classed as bread or as a staple food: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/01/irish-court-rules-subway-bread-is-not-bread. It's when I read stories like this that I start to understand what this clean food language is about.

    That's hilarious, bread as "confectionery"! Considering that USAians can now get sandwiches made with ultra-sweet waffles instead of bread, this isn't at all surprising.

    I'm with Jane, though: People who care should check, not assume. For the average American who doesn't care, doesn't check, that 3-5g is likely to be toward the lesser-impact end of their dietary issues. I won't speak for the Irish. Apparently the courts are looking out for them, anyway (or at least looking out for their tax revenue).

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